A Moment of Serenity
by Ms.MaraJade
Summary: Two members of the Voltron Force have to face their inner demons. Rated T to be safe for minor cursing.


_Author's Notes_: I had this idea come to me nearly a year ago, and after I sketched it, I put it on the back burner. In a moment of writer's block, I decided to pick at it again and make it worthy of posting. It's completely unrelated to my current "The Waltz Continues" story. It's a stand-alone, a one-shot, and something to clear the mind before delving back into the ongoing saga.

_Disclaimer:_ I own nothing. I make no money. I only write about what I enjoy.

_Summary:_ Two members of the Voltron Force have to face their inner demons. Rated T to be safe for minor cursing.

A Moment of Serenity

Princess Allura stood before the spacious window of the observation deck, her long gown brushing lightly against the full-length windowpane. Darkness covered the Arusian landscape as the curtain of night was in its full splendor. If not for the stars in the sky above and the distant lights in the towns, there would be little to see. The only other source of light was the soft glow that came from the pedestal where the Black Lion stood, holding its nightly watch. Pausing her eyes for a moment to watch one of the stars twinkling, Allura knew that the time was some ungodly hour of the night, and she had no desire to even try to sleep. She feared the nightmare that awaited her every night, and she hoped that if she denied her body the rest it needed tonight then tomorrow night would give her a black sleep with no dream.

Eyes shifting from the twinkling star, she felt the heaviness in her heart as she looked upon the Black Lion. Allura still had difficulties trying to think of it as Lance's. Every time she looked at the Black Lion, she could see Keith and even hear his voice. Keith was its pilot, its soul. He connected with the mechanical beast in a way that would make any pilot jealous. He could maneuver the Black Lion out of any situation, and the Black Lion could protect any of the team. Now Keith would never be a part of them again.

The commander's death had impacted them all with grief and emotions they hoped to never have to face. Regret once again washed over Allura as she would never have the opportunity to tell Keith that she had fallen in love with him. Remorse consumed her for never having stopped him for one second to show him what her heart could offer him. Silently, Allura damned Coran and Nanny for brainwashing Keith to only see her as a princess. Lifting her fingers gently to the window, Allura seemed to touch the Black Lion, regretting her anger toward her guardians. She felt the dagger in her heart again, and this time she allowed the pain to consume her. Feeling the hurt was better than feeling nothing at all, and she was certain the others on the Voltron Force shared her sentiment.

Next to Allura, Lance took the loss the hardest. The man who could find the proverbial silver lining behind the cloud became his own storm of raw emotions. He became darker, a brooding man who seemed lost. Keith was his best friend, a brother-in-arms. They were extended family that should have been of the same blood, yet fate did not allow that bond. However, their friendship was honest, brutally so at times, and how they were brothers became a moot point. There was no one else they would have preferred to have watching their backs.

Hunk seemed to hermit himself away more in the mechanical shop, spending hours a day listening to his music and tinkering with every vehicle he could find. It seemed that if he didn't keep his hands busy building or repairing, he would fall apart. He put his anger and his grief into fixing what he could repair. Eventually, he would mend his heart the only way he knew how. He would find the pieces and build it again.

Pidge took to helping the children of the planet and took on the responsibilities of being a role model for them. He suddenly matured in a way that had nothing to do with his physical growth. Keith's death had sobered the teenager into a man sooner than Pidge should be. Pidge had lost his older brother, the mentor he learned from and admired. To Pidge, taking on the role that Keith once held for him was his way to cope with the loss.

Allura's eyes pulled from the Black Lion as a star trailed across the sky, falling silently. Its brightness cut through the dark canvas of the sky seeming to move in slow motion. Feeling there was something significant about that, Allura closed her eyes and made a wish. She knew it was foolish, and it would never come true, but she did it anyway. She wished that Keith had never died. She wished that he never went back into that house to save those children. She wished Lotor never attacked Arus. She wished Zarkon never existed.

Allura knew that reality couldn't be undone, but for one moment, her heart felt that anything was possible.

Heavy, tired footsteps broke Allura from her deep thoughts. Opening her eyes, she knew that only Lance could step with so much emotional weight. She watched his reflection in the glass as he crossed his arms over his chest and stared out the window. The faded, mirror-like image showed that he was wearing his usual shirt and jeans. The leather jacket he was known for wearing since they met had been absent after Keith's death. Allura could only guess that it was because Lance decided it was who he was in the past and that he truly was a different man now.

"He's not coming back, no matter how much we want it or wish it," Lance said. His tone was cold and strained. "You need to get some rest and move on."

Allura bit down on her sudden anger. An argument at this hour would certainly wake the others and bring about questions she'd rather not have to answer. "I don't tell you how to grieve. I know how my heart will mend, and I'd prefer you leave me to it on my own."

"It's been two months now," Lance insisted. "Your wanderings through the castle at this hour have been increasing and growing longer each time. I need a pilot who's going to be rested and ready at a moment's notice, not someone who's catching up on sleep in the midst of a battle."

The princess felt her hands clench into fists. This man was not Lance anymore. His transformation into the commander role destroyed the amusing and carefree man he once was. Allura had enough, and she felt it was time to finally bring her raw emotions to the surface where she could face them. "I'm trying to accept Keith's death. I didn't think I would have to accept yours, too."

She turned from him and started for the door. His hand grasped her arm.

Lance looked at her hard, as though she had just slapped him across the face. "What does that mean?"

"You don't even see it," Allura said with frustration. "The Lance I knew died with Keith. Whoever you've become seems incapable of finding happiness…no matter how trivial it may be."

Lance looked to the sky and saw a star streak across it, much as Allura did a few minutes earlier. The star caught his attention stronger than he expected it should have. Something about it made him strangely understanding about the princess. "You're not expecting Keith to return when you wish," he said, allowing the revelation. "Every time you make a wish, it gives you a moment of serenity."

Allura turned to Lance now, and she saw the hollowness in his eyes. A brother he shared no blood with had been taken from him. Responsibilities he wasn't expecting so soon were suddenly thrown upon him. He was no longer a member of a team; he was now in command of them.

Lance brought his attention back to Allura, realizing he still was grasping her arm. In her eyes, he could see a strength he only wished to possess. There was a kindness that was gentle and reassuring. He saw her compassion for him, despite how harsh he had become lately. He could see now how Keith had fallen for her, despite the way he denied anything. Lance understood so clearly why Keith had stepped into harm's way time and again to protect her. None of the team denied Allura her beauty, but none of them really saw her inner beauty. If Keith had allowed himself one moment to not be the duty-laden commander, he might have found Allura's soul and shared what she wished to give him.

Noticing that Lance was lost somewhere in a vision she could not see, Allura touched her fingers to Lance's chin, and his eyes came back to look into hers. She hoped that the man she once knew was still somewhere in this now hollow body. She studied his eyes searching for any shard of a kind person. She scanned his mouth for the slightest trace of a smile.

Lance moved his hand from her arm to her hand that was upon his face. His fingers touched upon hers, and she suddenly trembled. He wanted to deny knowing what he was doing, but being so close to her was the first time in weeks he felt any iota of being alive. There was a fire within her that he needed in order to re-ignite who he was. He was sure she could see it as well.

Allura felt the nervous quivering of her hand, and she tried to still the anxiety that had suddenly come over her. She felt Lance take her hand, grasping her fingers with urgency and need. His other hand dared to cup her face, his thumb caressing over her cheek in uncertainty and silent pleading. She could see the man she had known was trapped inside this broken soul. She tried to think of her limits to freeing that man, but she was confident that Keith would rather have Lance return to his usual self once again rather than watch her push him aside in disgust for who he had become. She took a nervous breath as Lance leaned slowly toward her. _Forgive me, Keith_, she thought suddenly.

The fire Lance saw within Allura was a blaze of compassion, and he ached to touch it. He longed for someone to care about him and heal his wounded spirit. Looking upon her so closely gave him a purpose. He could feel the heat of her lips as a mere breath separated them. He watched her eyelids close lightly as his lips touched upon hers.

Allura sucked in a sudden breath as Lance pressed to her. She softly returned the kiss, oddly feeling no shame or betrayal to Keith. She found herself grasping Lance's hand in her own desperation. Her heart raced, giving Lance every bit of her strength that she could. She felt his hand slide to the back of her head, his fingers getting lost in her hair, and he gently pulled her closer. His hunger was not of desire or lust, but of loneliness and a heart aching for sympathy.

Their embrace seemed endless, as their two wounded souls sought comfort. They reached emotionally into each other, silently providing what they needed. Their lips pressed strongly, allowing pleasure rather than the ache they had felt for so long. Their hearts beat synchronously, passing strength, compassion, and sympathy to each other.

Lance slowly, deliberately pulled back from Allura. He leaned his forehead against hers and kept his eyes closed, taking a moment to breathe. Her warm breath continued to caress his chin, and he allowed his fingers to stay tangled in her hair.

"You shouldn't have done that," he whispered.

Allura opened her eyes and rested her fingers again on Lance's chin. "I needed you," she responded.

His eyes suddenly opened. "I can't be Keith."

That was his fear, she realized. That was why he changed. "Then, don't be."

For a few moments neither one spoke. Lance watched her. The simple words she said was the wisdom he needed to hear. He knew that if anyone else had told him that and at any time other than now, he would have been deaf to the words. He needed them to be heard only when he could have his emotional barriers down. Allura's attack was complex, the maneuver flawless, and it was exactly the kind of dirty trick Keith would pull on him.

"I envied him, you know," he said with only a touch of the sadness he once held.

"But, you're the one who gets the girls," Allura responded quietly.

"But, Keith could do it all," Lance explained. "I'm scared to death of what he handled so easily."

Allura sighed softly. "Then, do it your way. Lead how you can, not how it should be done."

"But, if I lose another…"

Without thought, Allura pressed her lips to him. Lance did not resist as he leaned into her once again. The moment was not as long or as intense as the last time, and as she pulled away, she explained, "Keith feared being vulnerable, and it's why he lived by his sense of duty. You fear becoming a slave to duty, and it's why you care so much."

"They're both lousy trade-offs," Lance complained.

Allura shrugged. "Welcome to leadership, and there are days I hate it."

For the first time in weeks, Lance broke into a quiet laugh.

Allura smiled, feeling her own soft laughter, as there was finally something familiar about Lance again. He leaned forward and kissed her forehead softly. "Promise me you'll keep me balanced."

"Only if you do the same for me."

"Deal." Taking a soft breath, Lance slipped his hands from Allura and stepped back. "You're going to get some sleep tonight, right?"

Allura nodded silently, and Lance walked out of the observation room. Allura sighed as she turned to the night sky again and watched the next star go past. "Thank you, Keith," she whispered.

She believed he would fix them. He always found a way.

"By the way, Lion practice after breakfast," Lance said as he ducked his head back into the room for a moment. "Loop drills for anyone showing up late."

The princess smiled at him. "I'm on my way to bed. You can stop being Nanny."

"I'm nothing like Nanny. You'd never kiss Nanny like that." Then, Lance was gone.

Allura looked one last time to the sky. She knew now that the nightmare wouldn't haunt her again. She would always love Keith, but she would be the balance that Lance needed without Keith. Her leadership skills would be the voice of reason that Lance would need from time to time.


End file.
